The Violet Hour
by LeanaVine
Summary: Marinette is a new girl in the small town of Little Paris. On her first day, she forms a crush on the most popular boy in school, Adrien Agreste. Little does she, or anyone else in Little Paris High, know, he has a dark secret. (High School!AU. Vamp!Adrien. Eventual Adrienette, Adrien/Marinette. Ninya, Nino/Alya. One-sided Adrien/Chloe.)
1. Preface

**A/N:** As always, I do not share any views expressed by any characters in this story. And I own nothing in this story.

Okay, please read, review, and enjoy!

* * *

Marinette Dupain-Cheng woke with a start at the buzzing sound of her alarm clock. She groaned, rolling over and covering her face with her pillow. Today was going to be her first day at her new school. This move had really taken a toll on her, and she wasn't looking forward to having to introduce herself over and over. Maybe this school would be like the last one, and she could fade away into the background.

She frowned at herself in the mirror. Her hair was a wreck, and she didn't really have time to wash and dry it. Instead of putting in a lot of effort, Marinette brushed her hair before throwing it up in a ponytail. Her bangs fell down over her forehead, and she blew the black hair out of her eyes. She contemplated using a barrette to pin them back, but she didn't like leaving her face that exposed.

Today she wore her favorite pink jeans with a black _Spider Gwen_ t-shirt. After brushing her teeth and putting on a little mascara, she hurried down the stairs to the kitchen, where her parents were putting breakfast on the table. Her father smiled up at her. "Good morning, sweetheart. Sleep okay?"

She paused. "Why? Do I have bags under my eyes again?" Marinette rubbed her eyes self-consciously.

Her mother giggled at her. "Don't fret so much, Marinette. You look fine. Are you excited for your first day?"

The teen smiled half-heartedly. "I don't think I'll ever be excited about school, but I am looking forward to meeting everyone." She sat down at the table, and her mother placed a plate of bacon and scrambled eggs in front of her. "I've been thinking I might try being a vegetarian," she announced, scooping some eggs onto her fork. "Lots of people are doing it nowadays."

With a little laugh, her mother patted her head. "You just have to realize that, just because you stop eating meat, doesn't mean all the meat-packing plants will go out of business. Changing your diet wouldn't make much of a difference. Besides, it's difficult to be a vegetarian. It's hard enough having limited food choices, not to mention that it's bad for your immune system. You don't need to miss a lot of school, like last year."

"Okay, okay, you've made your point." Marinette laughed and continued to eat her breakfast.

* * *

"Here you go, Adrien."

The teen looked down at the plate of food set in front of him: half a grapefruit, a poached egg spackled with red caviar, and two triangles of toast. He smiled, looking up at the woman on his left. "Thanks, Natalie."

She turned, leaving Adrien to eat alone in the low light of the kitchen. Only a sliver of sunlight burned through the curtains, and Adrien watched the rays shine off of his knife and onto the counter. His cat, Plagg, pounced, repeatedly slapping the light with his paws. Adrien chuckled, tilting his knife so that the light moved around the room.

"Adrien."

The boy froze, then turned to see his father standing in the dark archway of the kitchen. "Yes, Father?"

The older man pushed his glasses up his sharp nose. "Are you sure that you want to go today? It's rather sunny out. With no cloud cover, I'm afraid you could-"

"I'll be fine, Father," Adrien replied. "Thank you for your concern," he said in a lowered voice, his face blank. He swallowed, looking down at the food on his plate, waiting for his father to either speak or leave. When he did the latter, Adrien let out a deep breath. He poked at the egg on his plate with a fork. His eyes drifted up to the glass in front of him, filled with red liquid. Adrien picked up the glass and took a sip. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears, and pressed his lips into a line, fighting the urge to moan. No matter how many times he drank blood, it always felt sensational. Drinking a glass of blood in the morning helped to curb his appetite for the rest of the day. Plagg watched him with curious eyes, so with a smirk, Adrien dripped some blood on the floor for his furry comrade. The cat lapped it up, purring.


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Yes, if it wasn't obvious, Adrien is a vampire. We'll cover that more later 3

* * *

The air felt wet against Marinette's skin. She sighed, smoothing back her midnight black hair. Hopefully, she wouldn't look too frizzy on her first day. It was going to be hard getting used to this weather. Her black converse scraped the concrete sidewalk as she scrolled through her iPod. She finally landed on "Go Robot" by Red Hot Chilli Peppers, and smiled, shaking her hips and bobbing her head. She twirled, her toes grinding the asphalt. Her ponytail swung back and forth, and her hands were in the air as she swished her hips.

Suddenly, a flash of black caught her sight, approaching fast, and she gasped, falling hard on her butt. A motorcycle skid to a halt, nearly hitting her. When had she gotten in the middle of the road? She sat there, breathing heavily, music still playing in her ears. She looked up at the person on the bike, wearing a black helmet and leather jacket, and pulled out her headphones. "Sorry," he said, muffled through the helmet. "Are you okay?"

Hesitating, she nodded. The stranger stepped off of his bike and helped her to her feet. "I'm so sorry," she muttered, still in a daze. "I didn't even realize-"

The boy took off the helmet, and blond bangs fell into his green eyes. He flinched, his right eye twitching slightly, and Mari wondered if she looked banged up. "Are you sure you're okay? I mean, I know I didn't hit you, but you're really petrified, aren't you?" He placed a hand on her shoulder, the pad of his thumb rubbing against her dark blue hoodie.

She smiled nervously and looked down at the boy's sneakers. "I'm okay, really. I'm just sorry. I need to be more careful, I know." Marinette glanced back up at him, starting to wish that he would've just hit her. He had the most beautiful emerald eyes. She tucked some of her stray hair behind her right ear.

He smiled, then said, "Okay, if you say so." Putting on his helmet, he asked, "Did you want a ride? Are you on your way to school?"

Marinette scoffed, then giggled, wiping the dirt off her hands and onto the thighs of her pink jeans. She immediately regretted it, but kept that to herself. The butt of her jeans was probably dirty, too, anyway. "Get on that thing? That's just asking for trouble." He cocked his head to the side, giving her a confused look under his helmet, so she clarified. "I'm an accident waiting to happen. Put me on a motorcycle and I'm sure chaos would ensue."

He laughed and shrugged. "Sounds exciting to me." Then he straddled his bike, said, "See you at school," and drove off.

She watched him until he was out of sight, and swooned. _'A handsome guy on a motorcycle almost killed me...'_ she thought. The song on her iPod changed to "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol. _'That has to be a sign!'_ She tried to calm herself down, and continued walking, but couldn't stop herself from grinning stupidly, slow-dancing with an imaginary partner.

* * *

Little Paris High was bustling for such a small school. Lots of kids were hanging out in the parking lot, sitting on hoods and tailgates. Some of them stared at her as she walked by, and Marinette swallowed. She heard some laughing behind her, and remembered the mud stains on her pants, blushing. _'They're probably laughing about a joke. They probably didn't even see you,'_ her subconscious called to her.

As she made her way inside, she noticed how quiet it was. Shouldn't classes be starting soon? Was _everyone_ outside? She finally found the office, and got her schedule and a map of the school. It was almost funny, getting a map for a place so small. She was used to schools being three times this size, back in New York. The warning bell rang, so Marinette hurriedly found her locker. It was one of the bottom ones, and she grunted, squatting down in order to open the small, hunter's green door. She hated getting the bottom locker.

A pair of feet appeared next to her, and she looked up to see a tan-skinned redhead with glasses. "You're the new girl, aren't you?" she asked with a little smile, pushing her glasses up her nose.

Standing, dusting off her pants as best she could, Marinette put out a hand to shake. "Marinette Dupain-Cheng." The edges of her vision blurred as she was filled with anxiety. This was the part she hated. She reminded herself that she needed to make new friends, though, that she needed to overcome her insecurities.

"Alya Césaire," she replied, shaking the offered hand. "Editor of the school paper, The Wolf Pack. I was wondering if maybe you'd let me interview you." Marinette opened her mouth to protest, but Alya continued. "Not a lot of interesting things happen here, and a new student is interesting. We don't have to use a picture, if you don't want. It can be a small piece towards the back of the paper, no front page spread."

Breathing a sigh of relief, Marinette smiled. "Sure, why not. But, no picture."

Alya giggled, giddy. "Okay, during lunch, then. What's your first class?"

The two continued chatting for a few minutes after they found out they shared the same class first period: English. They walked to class together, and Marinette felt warm and happy, having already made a friend. She hoped they would continue being friends after Alya got her scoop. English passed without a hitch. Thankfully, the teacher didn't make Marinette introduce herself in front of the class. The class was actually a little behind compared to what Mari had been learning in New York, so she was able to daydream and doodle in the edges of her composition book without worrying about falling behind.

After English, Marinette and Alya were walking back to their lockers, when Marinette paused. She saw the boy from earlier that morning, the one that had almost hit her with his motorcycle. His green eyes were mesmerizing, even from this distance. He was leaning against a wall, being talked to by a preppy-looking blonde who flipped her hair and laughed in a haughty way. Mari sighed. Of course he had a girlfriend; he was too gorgeous to be single.

A dark-skinned boy walked over to the girls, giving Alya a hug. "Hey babe," he said, then smiled at Marinette. "Hi, the name's Nino. You must be the new girl I heard about."

Marinette shyly brushed some hair out of her face. "Yep, that's me." The anxiety was starting to set in again, but she tried to push it away. She just wasn't used to this much attention.

Slinging an arm around her shoulders, Alya stated, "This is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She's super cool. She's gonna let me write an article about her for the paper."

Nino laughed. "Oh, I feel sorry for you. I know how intense Alya gets when she's chasing a scoop."

"Hey."

The trio turned to see the blonde motorcycle boy put a hand on Nino's shoulder, who then smiled. "Oh hey, Adrien. Meet Marinette, the new girl."

Adrien gave a nod, half smiling. "Hi."

She smiled at the tile floor, her heart beating loudly in her ears. "Hi."


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thank you guys so much for the response on this story so far. I have plans for the future, but coming up with filler is a little difficult...

* * *

"Have you two already met?" Alya asked, eyes shifting between Marinette and Adrien. The air was thick, but not with humidity. The blonde and the black-haired girl were avoiding eye contact with all their might.

With a nervous chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck, Adrien replied, "I almost killed her this morning." Nino and his girlfriend looked confused and a little shocked, so the blonde clarified. "She was dancing in the middle of the road, and I almost didn't see her in time to stop my bike. She came out of nowhere, really."

After a moment of hesitation, Alya burst into a fit of giggles. "That's the best meet cute story I've ever heard!"

Marinette fixed her with a curious gaze. "Meet cute?"

The redhead waved a hand, the other clutching her ribs, which ached slightly from laughing. She wiped a tear from her eye before taking Nino's hand. "It's a Hollywood term I learned from Nino. It's when a man and woman meet in a super cute way that means they're destined to be together. Like when a boy and girl reach for the same comic and touch hands, that's a meet cute."

The black-haired girl blushed, looking at the white tile floor. When she looked up again, green eyes were staring at her. Adrien shifted on his feet, but his eyes didn't leave hers. Marinette's breath hitched in her throat, and she looked away to a mural of a pack of wolves on the wall. "What class do you have next, Marinette?" The question cut the air, and everyone looked to Nino, whom had asked the question.

"Umm, let me see..." The teen reached into her purse, pulling out her schedule. Her hands were trembling, just slightly, and it made her even more nervous. She glanced over the paper in her hands. "Chemistry. Ugh, really?" Marinette wilted, looking up when Alya laughed.

"I hate having my more complicated classes early in the morning," the redhead commented. "Sadly, we don't have that class at the same time; I have it first thing after lunch. Buuuuuut, Adrien has Chemistry next, don't you, Adrien?"

Marinette's eyes went to the blonde, who chuckled shyly. "I can show you where it is. Ms. Mendeleiev doesn't like for us to be late, so we'd better get going." He clapped a hand on Nino's shoulder. "See you later, bro." With that, he looked to Marinette before beginning to walk away.

The black-haired girl swallowed, looking to her new friends, Alya and Nino. Alya made a pushing gesture, a sign that Marinette needed to get going. "Go on, girl. I'll see you later."

With a nod, Marinette turned to see Adrien waiting on her, and she jogged to catch up, hanging back slightly so they wouldn't be side-by-side. "So, where did you move here from?" The question caught her off-guard, and she forgot how to speak. Adrien looked at her patiently, as if the answer should require a lot of thought.

Clearing her throat, Marinette responded, "New York City. Everything here is so different, but...I think that's a good thing. There were metal detectors and guards at my old school, kids getting in fights. This place feels so relaxed. Even the air is different." She looked up at Adrien, who was watching her with interest. It made her blush, and she looked forward again.

"I've lived all over the country," Adrien admitted, catching Marinette's attention again. "Arizona, Florida, Maine, Nebraska... We're sort of nomads - well, me and my dad, I mean. It's been that way since I was young. Dad just doesn't like to stay in one place too long."

"How long have you lived here?" she asked.

Shrugging his shoulders, the blonde replied, "I think two years, or close to that. I'm surprised dad hasn't talked about moving again. I'm not complaining, though. I like it here, too." He half smiled at her, and she smiled back. "Here we are," he announced, stopping at a door with the number 113 on it.

As they walked through the door, Marinette asked, "Where are the stairs? I haven't seen them yet."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know, the stairs to the second floor? Or is there a basement level?" She pushed some of her stray hairs back behind her ear.

With a chuckle, Adrien shook his head. "There is no other floor. This is it. The school isn't that big, I know."

They heard a scoff, and both turned to see the same blonde girl that had been standing with Adrien in the hall earlier that morning. "Nice of you to show up," she spat, but then quickly changed her demeanor, smiling and locking arms with Adrien. "I wondered where you ran off to. I missed you!" Then she looked at Marinette, and her face turned sour again.

Before she could ask any questions, Adrien idled to the black-haired girl, stating, "Chloe, this is Marinette, the new girl. I was just showing her where the chemistry lab was." He looked nervous for some reason. Yep, Chloe was definitely his girlfriend. She had to be.

With a shy wave, Marinette said, "Hi. Nice to meet you, Chloe."

"Yeah, whatever. Come on, Adrikens." Chloe pulled Adrien with her over to their usual table, and they both sat down.

Marinette stood there for a second before sighing. She looked around the room for an empty seat, finally seeing an empty table at the back of the room. Perfect. She quickly walked over, sitting down and pulling out her iPod. Once her headphones were in, Marinette turned in her chair, staring out the window. The fog was heavy outside, and under it, birds were pecking at the ground, plucking insects from the grass.

A hand tapped on her shoulder, and Marinette jumped, turning to see Ms. Mendeleiev glaring at her, motioning for her to take out her headphones. When she did, the teacher warned her, "No electronics in this class. If I see it again, it's mine." Then she turned, walking to the front of the class.

Sighing, Marinette wrapped the headphones around her iPod before shoving it into her pink backpack. Across the room, Chloe was giggling at her, and Adrien wore an apologetic look on his face. Marinette smiled at him reassuringly, and he smiled back.

"Young lady, please move up," Ms. Mendeleiev commanded. As Marinette picked up her backpack, feeling annoyed, the teacher asked, "You're the new girl, aren't you? Marinette Dupain-Cheng?" Marinette nodded as she moved closer, sitting at a table with a girl that had short blond hair. "Well, Miss Cheng, we have assigned seats in this class. Your permanent seat will be right there, next to Rose."

"Yes, ma'am," the black-haired girl replied, slumping into her seat. She caught Adrien's gaze again, and he motioned with his fingers at the corners of his mouth, a sign that he wanted her to smile. Marinette couldn't help but grin, looking down at her desk.


End file.
